Use the Question 13 Writing Booklet
(a) Prove that for all integers n with n ≥ 3, if 2^n − 1 is prime, then n cannot be even - HSC - SSCE Mathematics Extension 2 - Question 13 - 2022 - Paper 1
Question 13
Use the Question 13 Writing Booklet
(a) Prove that for all integers n with n ≥ 3, if 2^n − 1 is prime, then n cannot be even.
(b) The numbers a_n, for integers n ≥... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Use the Question 13 Writing Booklet
(a) Prove that for all integers n with n ≥ 3, if 2^n − 1 is prime, then n cannot be even - HSC - SSCE Mathematics Extension 2 - Question 13 - 2022 - Paper 1
Step 1
Prove that for all integers n with n ≥ 3, if 2^n − 1 is prime, then n cannot be even.
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Answer
First, assume that n is even. Let n = 2k, where k is an integer with k ≥ 2. Then:
2n−1=22k−1=(2k−1)(2k+1).
Since k ≥ 2, both factors, 2^k - 1 and 2^k + 1, are greater than 1. Thus, 2^n - 1 has at least two proper factors, which contradicts the assumption that it is prime. Therefore, n cannot be even.
Step 2
Use mathematical induction to prove that a_n = 2 cos(π/(2n+1)) for all integers n ≥ 1.
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